McCain: 'We Hope and Pray' House GOP Will Take Up Senate Immigration Bill

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) said on CBS’ Face the Nation on Sunday that he desperately wants the House to take up the Senate’s immigration reform package. “We hope and pray that our Republican colleagues will take up the issue,” he said, “and we can join together, Republicans and Democrats.”

McCain denied that Senate Republicans are attempting to help Democrats in leveraging the House Republicans. “We are not trying to dictate what the House of Representatives should do, and I believe that if they can come up with a bill we would be more than eager to negotiate with them. A failure to act is de facto amnesty for 11 million people living in the shadows. Wherever you are on that issue, there’s agreement on that. So shouldn’t we sit down together and solve this issue — not only for the good of the Republican Party, but for the good of the nation?” he said.